Jake Cooper is hoping to captain Millwall to the Premier League.placeholder image
Jake Cooper is hoping to captain Millwall to the Premier League. | Getty Images
Millwall poached experienced Championship stars from Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton in the winter window.
Millwall captain Jake Cooper has hailed the club’s winter recruitment as the club looks to challenge for promotion to the Premier League next season.
The Lions sit fourth in the second tier and have eyes set on a play-off place. Alex Neil’s side are six points clear of Wrexham in seventh place and could even contend for automatic promotion with second-placed Middlesbrough just two points ahead.
Millwall have lost just two of their last 11 Championship outings in an impressive run of form that has ensured the team doesn’t slip away after a strong first half of the campaign. That has also been helped by business in the January transfer window.
Millwall beat serious competition to bring in Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who had been warming the bench at the Stadium of Light after helping the Black Cats to promotion via the play-offs last term. Tom Watson was also part of that side and was recruited on loan at the start of February from Brighton.
Jake Cooper praises Millwall arrivals from Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday
The experienced Barry Bannan also arrived from Sheffield Wednesday, bringing 410 Championship appearances with him to The Den. Speaking to Southwark News ahead of Friday’s clash with Middlesbrough, Cooper said: “We’ve got really ambitious players, and we added people like Tommy Watson and Anthony Patterson who’ve been through it before, and Barry [Bannan] has got so much experience. He’s been in the play-offs before and in the Premier League. It’s not like we feel like we’re inexperienced in these situations.
“It’s just about keeping that same mentality that the gaffer gives us about going into every game to try and win and not focusing on games in advance or the end of the season yet or anything like that. It’s just taking each step at a time.
“My role is saying that to the lads. Whenever anyone speaks about what could happen come May, then it’s just brushing that to the side and focusing on what we’re doing right now.”
When addressing the club’s ambitions prior to the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town, Neil admitted that every match between now and the end of the season would be crucial for his side - Boro are up next with the Lions able to leapfrog the North East outfit with a win.
Neil said: "It makes no difference [who we face]. We've got eight games to play and we need to win as many as we can.
"Naturally the more the games whittle down the more important they become because you can't make up the points when they're gone. We need to make sure we go and give the best account of ourselves in the game and try to win the match."
In other news, 'We'll See': Charlton Athletic star addresses future amid Millwall and Leicester City links.
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